Mosquito and Safety Garment

ABSTRACT

A reversible mesh garment to prevent mosquito bites and increase safety through greater visibility of the wearer in dark conditions includes a tubular sleeve formed from mesh fabric, the tubular sleeve having a first end and a second end; first and second adjustable elastic bands housed in a woven fabric casing at each end of the tubular sleeve, wherein the first elastic band spans the perimeter circumference of the first end of the tubular sleeve and the second elastic band spans the perimeter circumference of the second end of the tubular sleeve so as to secure the garment to the wearer&#39;s legs from groin to ankle; an LED light source; and an additional layer of a strip of mesh fabric two inches wide is sewn as the top outer layer at the side seams thereby forming a mesh channel housing the LED light source.

RELATIONSHIP TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This patent application is a Continuation-In-Part patent applicationrelating to and claiming the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 14/804,848, which relates to and claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/027,461 filed Jul.22, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for protectionfrom insects. More specifically, the present invention is a set ofmesh-like “sleeves” with adjustable elastic bands at the top and bottommade to slide over the legs to protect from mosquito bites while stillwearing your typical summer shorts, and further including an element forincreased visibility of the wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mosquitoes can present a variety of problems to anyone exposed to them.These problems range from a slightly red itchy bump on the skin thateasily resolves, to transmission of deadly viruses that have claimedmany lives. Many individuals have an allergic type of reaction to thebites requiring over-the-counter antihistamines and pain relievers. Someexperience mild fever when receiving multiple bites at one time. If theallergic reaction is more severe a person may require antibiotics and/orsteroids to treat severe redness, swelling, pain, and cellulitis, whichis an infection of the skin itself. Now health problems arising from theZika virus have added a whole new level of concern with exposure tomosquitoes.

Over 3,000 species of mosquitoes exist in the world. The inherent issuewith these insects is the species that are vectors of disease, and witheach blood meal, pass diseases from host to host. Malaria, Yellow Fever,and La Crosse Encephalitis are some of the more recognizedlife-threatening illnesses associated with mosquitoes. West Nile Virusis also known to result in West Nile Fever or in more severe cases willresult in neuroinvasive illnesses such as encephalitis and meningitis.My niece contracted LaCrosse encephalitis during the summer of 2014 froma mosquito bite. After a week in intensive care, she improved andsurvived. However, it took months for the majority of sequelae tosubside which included seizures while hospitalized, ongoing headachesand behavioral changes. Many families have dealt with this issueparticularly in geographical areas within the US and beyond wheremosquitoes are abundant.

Not only do we want to keep our children safe from deadly illnesses, wewant to protect them from accidents like being struck by a car whileplaying outside. According to the Association for Psychological Science,getting hit by a car is the third leading cause of death among childrenages 5 to 9, and adolescents up to age 15 make up a disproportionatenumber of pedestrian casualties across the globe. A child's injuries aremore likely to be fatal when hit by a car simply due to being smaller. Afew key factors are observed when looking at how and why these accidentsoccur. Children are more easily distracted and don't always notice carswhen they're playing. Their reaction times are slower and speedy driversin residential areas increase their vulnerability. We can't change achild's developmental pace and force a sudden enhanced reaction time todangers. We can't control the speeding car at the second before anaccident. What we can control is adding safety measures when possible togive children a better chance of being visible to drivers.

A garment that prevents mosquito bites and adds visibility of the wearershould have specific attributes making it usable in every possibleaspect. The garment should be able to be used when participating in avariety of activities, particularly for children, such as running,playing, camping, hiking, or bike riding. The garment should becomfortable, breathable, easy to put on and take off, adaptable in usewith any apparel, cost-effective, appealing in appearance, andchemical-free.

Currently the options to prevent mosquito bites are:

1. Spraying chemical repellents containing DEET on skin or clothing.

2. Applying citronella oil, still a chemical, directly onto skin orclothing.

3. Staying close to a flame source of citronella.

4. Wearing pants and long sleeves even in hot weather.

5. Wearing complete mesh outfits over existing clothing.

6. Wearing protective clothing with repellent soaked into the textilefiber during manufacturing.

Each of these options has drawbacks making it potentially restricting ofactivity, uncomfortable, and/or potentially harmful to the skin of anindividual. In my search for options that combine mosquito protectionand offer added safety for the wearer, I have not found that such acombination exists. While numerous insect repelling garments exist andmay be suitable in certain conditions, the prior art referenced differsfrom the present invention in a number of ways with respect to the typeof insects repelled, activity for which it is created, method ofwearing, and the chemical and structural components of the textiles.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,215 to Mcllquham discloses a tic-repelling chap foreach leg extending from ankle to upper thigh which contains a specifiedarea on the textile for applying tick repellent. To secure the garment,ties at the top of the garment must be fastened to the wearer's ownbelt.

U.S. Pat. App. No. 2014/0283560 submitted by LYMEZE, LLC discloses asingle purpose tick-repelling forearm and leg covering made of a woventextile treated during the manufacturing process with tick repellent.The leg covering specifically extends from ankle to below the knee.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,594 to Shannon discloses a multilayered garment withseparate components of a jacket and pants. The textile utilized for theinner most layer against the skin is described as a thick, coarse mesh.The garment is intended for use by hunters and outdoorsman.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,510 to Schilling discloses a full-body outfit madeof single layer no-see-um mesh comprising jacket, pants, and leggings.The leggings specifically are constructed as a tubular shape from thetop of the leg to the ankle with elastic bands at the top and bottom ofthe tube and a stirrup at the lower elastic band to secure the garmentunder the foot or shoe of the wearer. The present invention differs inthat it requires the upper elastic band function in a manner that thewearer can adjust the band to their specific need with regard to size,comfort, and stability of the garment at groin level and that theelastic be encased in a woven fabric allowing the wearer the versatilityof wearing the garment directly against the skin under shorts or on theoutside of shorts. The present invention requires a decorative ribbon beaffixed to the outside layer of mesh at the side seam and alight-reflective safety ribbon be affixed to the inside layer of mesh atthe side seam. The present invention requires the garment be reversibleso the wearer is able to utilize the light-reflective safety ribbon atthe side seam during evening outdoor activity thereby increasingvisibility of and safety of the wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one form of the present invention, there is provideda reversible mesh garment to prevent mosquito bites and increase safetythrough greater visibility of the wearer in dark conditions including atubular sleeve formed from mesh fabric, the tubular sleeve having afirst end and a second end; first and second adjustable elastic bandshoused in a woven fabric casing at each end of the tubular sleeve,wherein the first elastic band spans the perimeter circumference of thefirst end of the tubular sleeve and the second elastic band spans theperimeter circumference of the second end of the tubular sleeve so as tosecure the garment to the wearer's legs from groin to ankle; an LEDlight source; and an additional layer of a strip of mesh fabric twoinches wide is sewn as the top outer layer at the side seams therebyforming a mesh channel housing the LED light source. The LED lightsource may be a strand of LED lights, the strand of LED lights beingselectively removable from the garment. The elastic bands at oppositeends may be adjustable by means of a fastener. The fastener used tosecure the adjustable elastic bands at each end may be a cord lock,toggle, button, buckle, snap, hook and loop, clip, or knotted cord. Asecondary fastener made from a cord, lock, toggle, button, buckle, snap,hook and loop, clip, or knotted cord may be affixed to the upper fabriccasing to secure the garment to the clothing of the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention,reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the garment shown on each leg groin to ankle, wornover shorts;

FIG. 2 illustrates the garment shown on each leg groin to ankle, wornunder shorts;

FIG. 3 illustrates ribbons used on garment side-seam;

FIG. 4 illustrates sewing one raw edge of mesh between the two ribbons;

FIG. 5 illustrates sewing opposing raw edge of mesh between the tworibbons completing the tube;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the folded upper woven fabriccasing;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the inside of the upper wovenfabric casing completely assembled;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the upper woven casing sewn ontotop edge of mesh tube;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of first and second garments on respectivelegs of the wearer each covering groin to ankle worn over the shorts,wherein a strand of LED lights are provided thereon;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the garment and includingadjustable elastic and cord locks and a strand of LED lights housed in amesh channel down the side seam;

FIG. 11 is a partial front elevational view of the upper casing with theelastic protruding through a grommet so that the elastic would then beattached to a cord lock or simply tied; and

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the tubular mesh garment layersas would be sewn together to create the mesh channel to house the lightsource.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the several views of the drawings, the mosquito and safetygarment of the present invention is shown. All illustrations of thedrawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of thepresent invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the presentinvention.

The present invention consists of no-seeum mesh tubular sleeves withadjustable elastic bands at the top and bottom made to slide over thelegs to protect from mosquito bites while still wearing your typicalsummer shorts. This provides a chemical free, non-toxic barrier for theskin. The garment can be worn in conjunction with regular clothing andis still reversible and adjustable. The user can put them on and takethem off without having to remove their regular clothes making it aneasier and desirable option to prevent mosquito bites in a variety ofoutdoor activities. The present invention is constructed with childrenin mind primarily for this product though it could be made available forteens and adults as well.

Referring to FIG. 1, the garment is shown on each leg 8 from groin toankle over a pair of shorts 9. The mesh fabric 2 is configured into acylindrical shape with longest raw edges secured neatly between theouter and inner ribbons 7. The adjustable button-hole elastic 5 encasedin the upper woven fabric casing 1 is holding the garment securely atgroin level directly against the fabric of the shorts 9 of the wearer.To achieve the appropriate fit of the adjustable button-hole elastic 5the pull tab 4, secured to the elastic with an iron-on adhesive, ispulled far enough to expose button holes, which exist throughout theentire length of said elastic. The wearer or parent of the wearerselects the desired length and slips the button 6 through theappropriate button hole sufficient to secure the garment in place. Thelower woven fabric casing 3 which houses the non-rolling ankle elasticfits snugly against the sock 10 or ankle of the wearer preventingentrance of insects and preventing the mesh fabric 2 from slipping downover the shoe 11. The gathered effect on the mesh fabric 2 causes saidmesh fabric to distend away from the leg 8.

Referring to FIG. 2, the garment is shown on each leg 8 worn under apair of shorts 9 groin to ankle. The leg 8 on the left shows how thegarment appears when worn under a pair of shorts 9 with the mesh fabric2 still able to balloon away from the leg 8. The leg 8 on the rightshows how the upper woven fabric casing 1 appears under the shorts 9against the skin of the leg 8 itself at the groin. Wearing the upperwoven casing 1 against the skin lessens the diameter and subsequentlylessens the tension on the button-hole elastic 5. This elastic isadjusted more snuggly if needed by pulling the pull tab 4 to a lengthsufficient to achieve the desired fit. The lower woven fabric casing 3maintains position at the sock 10 just above the shoe 11. Ribbons 7 arestill visible between the bottom edge of the shorts 9 and the lowerwoven fabric casing 3 when worn in this fashion.

Referring to FIG. 3, light-reflective safety ribbon 12 on the left and adecorative ribbon 7 are used to secure the longest raw edges of meshfabric 2. True ribbon width is ⅞″.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first longest raw edge of mesh fabric 2 isshown laid in between and being sewn in between the backsides of thedecorative ribbon 7 and the light-reflective safety ribbon 12. The firstsewn seem of thread 13 occurs on the left side of the ribbons 7, 12.

Referring to FIG. 5, the completed tube is shown prior to attachment ofcasings. The second raw edge of mesh fabric 2 has been wrapped around toform a cylindrical shape. The second sewn seam of thread 13 is addeddown the right side of the ribbons 7, 12. With both raw edges of meshfabric 2 having been sewn between the back sides of the light-reflectivesafety ribbon 12 and the decorative ribbon 7 the tube is created.

Referring to FIG. 6, the upper woven fabric casing 1 is shown as itappears before being sewn on to the tube in FIG. 5. It is folded andpressed. The front side is shown. The raw woven fabric edge 14 on theleft is cut with pinking shears which are special scissors that cut azig-zag shape to prevent fibers from unravelling. The opposingfolded/pressed raw edge of woven fabric at the end of the upper casing15 is secured with a sewn seam of thread 13. The ⅝″ button 6 is sewn onsecuring the elastic band (not shown in this figure) already placedbetween the fold.

Referring to FIG. 7, the upper woven fabric casing 1 is shown foldedopen exposing the button-hole elastic 5, secured with a ⅝″ button 6, thepull tab 4 made of decorative ribbon 7, and the lower raw edges of wovenfabric 14 folded inward and pressed along the full length of saidcasing. Also noted in this figure is the folded and pressed woven fabrictop edge of the upper casing 16, the raw woven fabric edge 14 on theleft cut with pinking shears and the opposing folded/pressed raw edge ofwoven fabric at the end of the upper casing 15 folded and secured with asewn seam of thread 13.

Referring to FIG. 8, the upper portion of a small child-sized garment isshown when completely assembled. Components visible are the upper wovenfabric casing 1 which now has a gathered appearance where a sewn seam ofthread 13 connects it to the top edge of the mesh fabric 2. Contributingto the gathered appearance is the button-hole elastic 5 once pulledthrough the length of the upper woven fabric casing 1 by the pull tab 4,and secured by the ⅝″ button 6. The decorative ribbon 7 is seen withsewn seams of thread 13 down each side completing and securing thecylindrical shape and thereby the function of the mesh fabric 2.

Referring to FIG. 9, the garment is shown with additional featuresspecific to the added light source. The upper woven fabric casing 1 isshown with a cord lock 18 which secures elastic 23 at a set tension tosecure the fit at groin level of the wearer. An LED strand 19 containingLED lights 20 (collectively, the LED light source) is fed down a meshchannel 22 to house the LED light source down the outer side seam. Thepower button/battery housing 21 is secured just below the cord lock 18as a portion of the LED strand 19 is first fed under and back over thecord lock 18, before it is fed down the mesh channel 22. A cord lock 18secures elastic 23 within the lower woven fabric casing 3 at the lowergarment end at the ankle of the wearer.

Referring to FIG. 10, LED lights 20 within an LED strand 19 are locatedwithin the mesh channel 22 to house the LED light source. A cord lock 18is present and secured to elastic 23 housed within the upper wovenfabric casing 1 and the lower woven fabric casing 3. A plastic clip 17is secured to the upper woven fabric casing 1 to fasten to the clothingof the wearer. The power button/battery housing 21 is contained at thetop of the mesh channel 22 to house the LED light source and is furthersecured from slipping down said mesh channel 22 with two (2) angledstitches to support power button/battery housing 25.

Referring to FIG. 11, the upper woven fabric casing 1 with grommet 24for elastic 23 to come through and be tied or affixed to a fastener. Aplastic clip 17 is affixed to the upper woven fabric casing 1 to securethe garment to the clothing of the wearer. The mesh channel 22 to housethe LED light source is present with 2 angled stitches to support thepower button/battery housing 25.

Referring to FIG. 12, layers of mesh fabric 2 form the tubular shape ofthe garment. View of garment showing how layers are positioned and heldtogether with sewn seams of thread 13 to create the sleeve with the meshchannel 22 to house the LED light source.

Generally, the garment includes no-seeum mesh which has more than enoughholes per square inch to keep mosquitoes off the skin and still retainbreathability suitable to the wearer. It is sewn with a side seam tocreate an elongated tubular shaped sleeve which is large enough indiameter to allow the fabric to balloon away from the skin in asignificant enough fashion to create an air barrier between the skin andno-seeum mesh. Elastic is simply sewn in to the fabric casing at the topand bottom of the garment. The upper elastic is adjusted by means of acord lock or other fastener on the outside of the fabric casing whichhouses the elastic. The top elastic is intended to fit high on thethigh, at the groin area. The bottom elastic is smaller to go around theankle. This elastic is also adjustable and constructed in the samemanner as the upper elastic. The gathering of fabric that occurs at eachend of the garment combined with excess girth of mesh fabric around theleg causes the fabric to balloon out around the leg. The lighting sourcecomes from an LED shoelace with the lights dispersed in a strand alongthe fabric shoelace itself. It has a battery compartment and powerbutton in a plastic housing which is secured at the top of the garmentby looping the lace through the upper elastic behind the toggle/cordlock. The battery and power button housing is further held in place withtwo angled stitches at the base of the housing to prevent it fromslipping down the mesh channel. The lace is then fed down the channelcreated at the side seam when sewn. Lighting features are controlled bya button on the plastic housing which turns the light on and off andoffers different flashing modes. This LED light source is easily removedfrom the garment so that the garment may be washed. This type of lace isnot waterproof. The garment can still be constructed with lightreflective striping approx. ¼″ to ¾″ wide on the reverse of the sideseam(s). There are products available to utilize in conjunction for thefabric itself to be infused with a nontoxic mosquito repellant. Whilethis invention is made of fabric with no chemical insect repellents, itis understood that this invention could be modified to accommodate theaddition of an insect repellent through infusion or attachment. Thisgarment has the ability to be detailed with certain mesh colors ordecoration representing any team sport or character. This garment wouldbe useful for the wearer whether at a picnic or summer outdoor sportingevent. Parents will feel additional peace of mind when their child isreadily visible to oncoming cars and on the hiking trail.

Generally, another embodiment of the garment is identical in themanufacturing of the mesh garment itself with the difference being theLED light source. The LED lighting source is a waterproof LED shoelacewhich is comprised of solid clear plastic tubing approximately ⅛″ indiameter which is secured in a mesh fabric channel created from the sideseam as currently constructed. The tubing runs the length of the garmentand is attached to the plastic housing compartment for the battery andLED light at groin level. Lighting features are controlled by a buttonon the plastic housing which turns the light on and off and offersdifferent flashing modes. It is secured to the garment by looping theplastic tubing behind the upper elastic at the toggle/cord lock. ThisLED light source is easily removed from the garment so that it may bewashed. The plastic tubing is waterproof, while the housing for thebattery and LED light are not. General sizing would be available or madeto order.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiments, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications, specifically the type of light source provided, andvariations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reversible mesh garment to prevent mosquitobites and increase safety through greater visibility of the wearer indark conditions comprising: a tubular sleeve formed from mesh fabric,the tubular sleeve having a first end and a second end; first and secondadjustable elastic bands housed in a woven fabric casing at each end ofthe tubular sleeve, wherein the first elastic band spans the perimetercircumference of the first end of the tubular sleeve and the secondelastic band spans the perimeter circumference of the second end of thetubular sleeve so as to secure the garment to the wearer's legs fromgroin to ankle; an LED light source; and an additional layer of a stripof mesh fabric two inches wide is sewn as the top outer layer at theside seams thereby forming a mesh channel housing the LED light source.2. The reversible mesh garment of claim 1 wherein an LED light sourcecomprises a strand of LED lights, the strand of LED lights beingselectively removable from the garment.
 3. The reversible mesh garmentof claim 1 wherein the upper elastic encased in fabric and the lowerelastic encased in fabric are adjustable by means of a fastener.
 4. Thereversible mesh garment of claim 3 wherein the fastener used to securethe adjustable elastic bands at each end comprises a cord lock, toggle,button, buckle, snap, hook and loop, clip, or knotted cord.
 5. Thereversible mesh garment of claim 1 wherein a secondary fastenercomprising a cord, lock, toggle, button, buckle, snap, hook and loop,clip, or knotted cord is affixed to the upper fabric casing to securethe garment to the clothing of the wearer.